Opción, Año 35, Regular No.24 (2019): 985-1007

Opción, Año 35, Regular No.24 (2019): 985-1007 ISSN 1012-1587/ISSNe: 2477-9385

Recibido: 10-11-2018 •Aceptado: 10-03-2019

The influence of Arabic media coverage on

the formation of public opinion

Marwa Said Head of Mass Communication Department, Al Ghurair University, Dubai,

UAE

[email protected]

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to identify the media content of

Syrian TV channels which support and against the Syrian regime in

addition to the political opinion of viewers who watch such channels

via the descriptive research methodology. The results showed there is

no statistical significance in forming the political opinion about the

Syrian crisis due to the demographic as well as personal variables. In

conclusion, frequent viewers, who believe that such channel programs

convey valid different crisis details, are influenced by watching such

TV channels clearly.

Keywords: Media, Coverage, Syrian, Crisis, Issues.

La influencia de la cobertura mediática árabe en

la formación de la opinión pública

Resumen

El propósito de este estudio fue identificar el contenido de los

medios de los canales de televisión sirios que apoyan y en contra del

régimen sirio, además de la opinión política de los televidentes que

ven dichos canales a través de la metodología de investigación

descriptiva. Los resultados mostraron que no hay significación

estadística en la formación de la opinión política sobre la crisis siria

debido a las variables demográficas y personales. En conclusión, los

mailto:[email protected]

986 Marwa Said Opción, Año 35, Regular No.24 (2019): 985-1007

espectadores frecuentes, que creen que tales programas de canal

transmiten detalles válidos de crisis diferentes, se ven influenciados

por ver claramente dichos canales de televisión.

Palabras clave: Medios, cobertura, sirio, crisis, problemas.

1. INTRODUCTION

The spark of revolts which have become known as the Arab

Spring, which initially emerged from Tunisia then Egypt considered

the most famous event of the century, extended its repercussions that

included various Arab countries such as Libya, Yemen and Syria

which witnesses the largest political abortion in the region and the

social protest which was launched in the first months of the year 2010,

and continued strongly throughout the year, behind endless the

victims, the dilemma and questions (KASHGARI, 2013).

The Arab Spring has surprised many, the extension of its roots

of the fertile ground of resisting corruption, injustice and persecution,

where the past is pivotal and important for many countries, in

particular from the Arab Spring, has brought a strong resistance by

men, women, and children of this wave of change, where the

transformed these uprisings of dialog between the state and its people

(AL-NATOUR, 2013 ; SHABBIR, ABBAS, AMAN, & ALI, 2019).

It was not anticipated when the first sparks of acts of change in

Tunisia and Egypt, to get all that happened, the way it happened, and if

it is certain that the revolutionary act was in some of its assumptions is

The influence of Arabic media coverage on the formation of

public opinion

987

spontaneous, it is also certain that it is spontaneous did not exceed the

moment the Spark, as soon filled with public squares in cities, crowds

of demonstrators of the proponents of the departure of the tyrants, each

carrying what attitudes and positions within society (CORM, 2011).

The media and social networking sites have played an important

role in the political events against the regimes and governments,

especially in the Arab region, which appeared in the Arab Spring

starting from Tunisia when pictures spread and news about Bouazizi,

who burned himself in protest against what he suffered by the police,

through what happened in Egypt till spreading the news about the

Assad forces killed five protesters in Daraa city (AHMAD &

HAMASAEED, 2014).

Insight of the size of the Syrian crisis, which exceeded all the

crises occurred in the Arab world during the Arab Spring, whence the

time period and the size of the victims and destruction, it has gained

greater media coverage, whether Arab or international, and the

realignment of some active states supporting the Syrian regime against

other states opposed to it (QADDOURA, 2015). |This led to the

emergence of media with-and-against of the regime, in addition to a

media war that is not less contemptuous than the actual war on the

ground. The study seeks to achieve the following objectives:

1) Identify the media content of the supporting Syrian

regime channels and channels against.


2) Identify the differences in political opinion to those

who follow the pro-Syrian regime channels and channels against the

Syrian crisis.

3) Identify the impact of each of the pro-Syrian regime

channels and channels against the formation of political opinion on the

Syrian crisis.

The hypotheses of the study:

The first hypothesis is:

There is no statistically significant relationship to the level of

significance (α≤ 0.05) between the extent of follow-up to the news

channels and the formation of political opinion on the Syrian crisis.

The second hypothesis:


significance (α≤ 0.05) between the political orientation of the media

channel and the political position toward the Syrian crisis.


significance (α≤ 0.05) between the political orientations of the Orient

Channel and the political position toward the Syrian crisis.


significance (α≤ 0.05) between the political orientations of Al Alam

the World Channel political position on the Syrian crisis.

The third assumption:

There is no statistically significant difference in the level of

significance (α≤ 0.05) in the formation of political opinion on the


public opinion

989

Syrian crisis due to the recipient demographic and personal variables

(age, sex, educational level) (MAHMOUD, 2013).

2. METHODOLOGY

The study follows the descriptive research methodology,

depending on a questionnaire tool that will be directed to the study

channels’ followers. Analyzing all collected data through answering

the questionnaires, and using the appropriate statistical methods to be

engaged in the midst of the Syrian crisis media coverage and their

impact on the formation of the political situation (AL-SHARAFI,

2012).

The study society includes all Orient channel’s and Al Alam

channel electronically followers. Since the size of the study society is

unlimited and uncountable, the researcher adopted the electronic

distribution of the study tool for the two subjected channels followers

(AL LABBAN & IBRAHIM, 2015).

The study tool includes two sections as follows:

The first section includes the characteristics of the study sample.

The second section includes information about the extent of

following up on the channels supporting and opposing the Syrian

regime. It also deals with the political opinion towards the Syrian issue

and explores whether that opinion was influenced by the nature of the

political orientation of the channel that is followed up.


Likert Scale will be used to determine the weight

questionnaire’s paragraphs as follows: (Strongly agree = five degrees),

(Agree = four degrees), (Not sure = three degrees), (Disagree = two

scores), (Strongly disagree = one degree), where there will be the

adoption of the following scaling in assessing the level of the study

sample member’s evaluation towards of the study paragraphs.

The Agreement

Degree

The Arithmetic Average

Low Degree ess than 2.334l -From 1.00

Medium Degree an less th -From 2.334

2.667

High Degree ess than 5.00l –From 2.667

Statistical Methods:

The program will rely on the Statistical Package for the Social

Sciences (SPSS). The test will be the following:

- The Descriptive Statistics Measures: to describe the

characteristics of the study sample, and answer their questions.

- T-test: and Regression test.

3. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

The study aimed to identify the media coverage of the Syrian

crisis (State media, opposition media) and its impact on the formation

of the political position of the followers - practical study (Orient

Channel and Al Alam the World Channel). In order to reach this goal,


public opinion

991

the questionnaire has been developed to be applied electronically in

the study sample. The total number of received questionnaire forms is

(160) and the invalid for Analysis forms are (7), therefore, the number

of valid questionnaires is (153) after unloading. Table (1) summarizes

the distribution of members of the sample study, according to the

variables.

Table 1: Summary of the sample size

The

sample

No of

distributed

questionnaires

No of invalid

for analysis

questionnaires

The

distributed

questionnaire

Valid

Questionnaire

Percentage

The

followers

of the

two

channels

160 7 153 95.6%

Study Reliability Test Tool: The meaning of the stability of the

study tool is the stability of the results, how far is

compatible/consistent with the questionnaire results if applied more

than once in similar circumstances. The internal consistency of

Cronbach's Alpha has been used to measures the extent of consistency

in the respondents’ answers to all the questions on the scale. The alpha

could be interpreted as the coefficient of internal consistency between

the answers. Its high value indicates the degree of high stability,


ranging from (0 and 1) and the value will be acceptable at (60%) and

above, where the value of the test (84.9%), which confirms the validity

and the significance of the questionnaire to test the hypotheses (ABU

ZAID, 2012).

The Description of the study sample characteristics:

1) The Description of the study sample characteristics:

The study dealt with a range of demographic variables for the

study sample towards (sex, age, qualification) derived from the

information contained in the questionnaire based on the description of

the study sample, as follows:

Table 2: The Study Sample Description According to the Demographic

Variables of the Study Members

The

Percentage % The number

The

level/Category The variable

41.2 63 He said

Sex 58.8 90 Female

100.0 153 The total

39.2 60 21- 30 years.

Age

29.4 45 31- 40 Years

23.5 36 41- 50 Years

7.8 12 51 years of prints

100.0 153 The total

7.8 12

What is the

secondary school

without Qualification 77.1 118 Degree

11.1 17 Master

3.9 6 Ph.D.


public opinion

993

The

Percentage % The number

The

level/Category The variable

100.0 153 The total

Analyzing the views of the study sample to understand the

phrases of the Syrian crisis media coverage and their impact on the

formation of the political position of the watcher’s practical study,

where calculating the mathematical averages and the standard

deviations of each paragraph of the study, the results were as follows:

Table 3: The Mathematical Averages and the Standard Deviations of

Responses of the Sample Study On the Followers of the Studied

Channels

Paragraph

No. Paragraph

The

mathematical

average*

The

Standard

Deviation

The

evaluation

degree

1 Orient

Channel 3.647 1.019 High

2

Al Alam

The World

Channel

3.882 0.678 High

It is noted in Table (3) that the mathematical average of

responses of the study sample on the follow-up of the Orient channel

amounted to (3.647) the standard deviation was (0.907), and the

evaluation degree was high. The mathematical average of the

responses of the study sample on the followers of Al Alam channel


reached (3.882) and its standard deviation was (0.678), and the

evaluation degree was high.


Responses of the Sample Study towards creating knowledge

Paragraph

No. Paragraph

The

mathematical

average*

The

Standard

Deviation

The

evaluation

degree

3

The news

channel that I

follow is

matching with

my thoughts and

political

convictions.

3.588 0.334 High

4

I follow the

news channel

which is

compatible with

my political

views.

3.529 0.980 High

5

I avoid

following-up on

the news

channel, which

is not

compatible with

my political

views.

3.588 1.036 High

6

The news

channels

contribute to

influencing

public opinion.

4,294 at 0.668 High


public opinion

995

7

The news

channels

contribute to

providing the

audience with

details of the

various events.

3.882 0.320 High

8

The news

channels guide

the public

opinion to the

vague truth in

the news media.

3.688 0.986 High

9

The news

channels

contribute to

clarifying the

media site's

messages and

their

compatibility

with the actual.

3.647 0.970 High

10

The news

channels

contribute to

formatting a

correct public

opinion.

3.588 0.847 High

11

The news

channels

contribute to

clarifying the

misinformation

in order to form

a definite public

opinion.

Reached

3.529 1.225 High

The average axis 3.704 0.933 High


* The Lowest degree is (1) & the maximum degree is (5)

It is noted in Table (4) that the mathematical average of the

sample study responses on the Axis of (3.704) and the standard

deviation was (0.933), and the evaluation degree was high, which

indicates that the members of the study sample see that those channels

are working extensively on formatting public opinion.


Responses of the Sample Study towards the situation of the Syrian

crisis

Orient Al Alam

Paragraph

No. Paragraph

The

mathematical

average*

The

Standard

Deviation

The

arithmetic

average*

The

Standard

Deviation

12

The

Syrian

crisis

started as

the right

revolution

to achieve

the rights

of the

Syrian

citizen.

3.353 0.686 3.136 0.909

13

The

Syrian

regime

violently

treated in

with the

3.471 1.353 2.136 0.320


public opinion

997

peaceful

political

opposition

at the

beginning

of the

crisis.

14

The

Syrian

army

worked on

using

weapons

against the

opposition

without

good

reason.

3.529 1.112 2,500 0.878

15

The

Syrian

regime

defends

the

homeland

against

terrorism.

2.922 0.334 3.818 0.795

16

The

Syrian

regime is

exposed to

cosmic

conspiracy

because of

its

attitudes

supporting

Arab

2.843 1.020 3.727 0.640


issues.

* The Lowest degree is (1) & the maximum degree is (5)

The results indicate that there is a difference in the point of view

of the members of the study sample on the Syrian crisis between the

opposition channel watchers, the pro-Syrian regime channels.

Hypothesis testing:

The first hypothesis:

Ho1: There is no statistically significant relationship on the level

indication (α≤0.05) between the extent of follow up news channels and

political opinion formation towards the Syrian crisis. For testing the

study hypothesis, the searcher performed regression testing to

demonstrate a statistically significant relationship on the level

indication (α≤ 0.05) between the extent of follow up news channels

and political opinion formation towards the Syrian crisis at the level of

significance (α ≥ 0.05).

Table 6: Model summary table (Model Summary) b

Model R R Square Adjusted R Square Std. The error of the

Estimate

1 .919a .845 .844 .32894

a. Predictors: (Constant), Following1

It is shown in table (6) that the value of the correlation coefficient

between the independent variable and dependent variable as its value (.


public opinion

999

919), as described and limited by selection coefficient (2R) worth (.

845), and the independent variables were able to explain (84.5%) Of

changes in the dependent variable and the rest is attributable to other

factors.

Testing the total moral of the multiple regression model:

Table (22) shows the results of the variance analysis ANOVA

for testing the regression of the model moral:

Table 7: The results of the analysis of variance b

Model Variance

Source

Total

Squares

Degree

Of

Freedom

F Significance

Level

1

Regression 89.307 1 89.307 825.356 .000b

Residual 16.339 151 .108

Total 105.645 152

a. Dependent Variable: Formation

b. Predictors: (Constant), Following1

Table (7) clarified the variance analysis that aims to identify the

explanatory force of the independent variable model for the follow-up

to the news channels and the dependent variable of the political

opinion formation on the Syrian crisis through statistical data (F). The

hypotheses were formulated as follows:

As shown in table (7), it is clear there is high morale to test (F)

Estimated (825.356) at a level of significance estimated (Sig = 0.000)

and less than the level of significance (0.05 ≤ α), thus the regression


model is suitable to measure the causal relationship between the

independent variable and the dependent variable.

The second hypothesis:


significance (α≤0.05) between the political orientation of the media

channel and the political position towards the Syrian crisis.

For testing the study hypothesis, a multiple regression testing

was carried out to demonstrate the existence of a statistically

significant relationship to the level of significance (α≤0.05) between

the political orientation of the media channel and the political position

on the Syrian crisis, at the level of significance of 0.05≥ (α).

Table 8: Model Summary b

Model R R Square Adjusted R

Square

Std. The error of

the Estimate

1 .343a .118 .106 .33281

a. Predictors: (Constant),Al Alma Channel & Orient Channel

Table (8) shows that the value of the correlation coefficient

between the independent and dependent variables at a value of (0.343),

as shown in the parameter value specifically identifies with (R2) Value

(0.118), therefore, the independent variables were able to explain

(11.8%) of the changes in the dependent variable.

Testing the total moral of the multiple regression model:

Table (9) shows the results of the variance analysis ANOVA

regression model moral test:


public opinion

1001

Table 9: The results of the variance analysis

Model Sum of

Squares df

Mean

Square F Sig.

1

Regression 2.219 2 1.110 10.019 .000b

Residual 16.614 150 .111

Total 18.833 152

a. Dependent Variable: The opinion

b. Predictors: (Constant), Al Alma Channel & Orient Channel

Table (9) shows the variance analysis which aims to identify the

explanatory force of the model of the political orientation and media

channel (supporting and against the regime) and the political position

on the Syrian crisis through statistical data (F).

As illustrated in table (9), it is clear there is high morale to test

(F) estimated (10.019) at the level of significance (Sig = 0.000) less

than the level of significance (0.05 ≤ α), thus the regression model is

suitable to measure the causal relationship between the independent

variable and the dependent variable.

According to the aforementioned, the zero hypotheses are

rejected while the alternative hypothesis is accepted.

Subsidiary hypotheses:

No statistically significant relationship to the level of

significance (α≤0.05) between the political orientation of Orient

channel and the political position on the Syrian crisis.

No statistically significant relationship to the level of

significance (α≤0.05) between the political orientation of Al Alam



Testing the moral equivalent transactions multiple regression:

Table (10) shows the values of the regression parameters to

estimations and statistical tests as shown in the following:

Table 10: Table of transactions (Coefficient) a

Model

Unstandardized

Coefficients

Standardized

Coefficients t Sig.

B Std. Error Beta

1

(Constant) 2.946 .158 18.644 .000

Orient

Channel .164 .037 .423 4.385 .000

Al Alam (The

world)

Channel

-.097- .050 -.187- -1.944- .054

a. Dependent Variable: the opinion

The first sub-hypothesis: there is no statistically significant

relationship to the level of significance (α≤0.05) between the political

orientation of the Orient channel and the political position on the

Syrian crisis.

It is clear from the table (10) that the value (T) estimated

(4.385). It is the highest of the tabular trend at the level of the moral

value (0.000), which is less than the specified value (0.05 ≥α).

Therefore, it is accepted the alternative hypothesis while rejected the

zero. Therefore, there is a statistically significant relationship to the

level of significance (Α≤0.05) between the political orientation of the

Orient channel and the political position on the Syrian crisis.


public opinion

1003

The second sub-hypothesis: there is no statistically significant

relationship to the level of significance (α≤0.05) between the political

orientation of Al Alam (the world) channel and the political position

on the Syrian crisis.

It is clear from the table (10) that the value (t) estimated (1.944),

which is less than the tabular value when the moral level (0.091), and

higher than the specified value (0.05 ≤ α). Therefore, the alternative

hypothesis is rejected while the zero is accepted. Therefore, there is no

statistically significant relationship to the level of significance

(Α≤0.05) between the political orientation of Al Alam (the world)


The third hypothesis

Ho: there are no statistically significant differences in the level

of significance (α≤0.05) in the formation of political opinion on the

Syrian crisis due to the respondent’s demographic and personal

variables (age, sex, qualification).

To test the hypothesis, One Way ANOVA was carried out to

learn whether there were statistically significant differences in the

formation of political opinion on the Syrian crisis to the respondent’s

demographic and personal variables (age, sex, qualification), to the

level of statistical significance (α ≤ 0.05), and the following table No.

(11) Shows the test results:


Table 11: One Way ANOVA

Level Of

Significance

F Squares

Rate

The

Freedom

Degree

Total

Of The

Squares

The

Variabl

e

.118

1.610

.379 3.410 9 Betwee

n

Squares

Sex

.235

33.649 143 Inside

Squares

37.059 152 Total

.757

.644

.624 5.613 9 Betwee

n

Squares

Age

.968

138.387 143 Inside

Squares

144.000 152 Total

.788 .609 .210 1.887 9 Betwee

n

Squares

Qualifi

cation

.344 49.224 143 Inside

Squares

51.111 152 Total

.379 3.410 9 Inside

Squares

3

3.649

1

43

T

otal

Table (11) points to the absence of statistically significant

differences in the political opinion formation on the Syrian crisis due

to the respondent’s demographic and personal variables (age, sex,

qualification), where the value of F is less than its tabular trend value


public opinion

1005

(1.5173), and the level of statistical significance is higher than the

specified value (0.05).

4. CONCLUSIONS

The researcher believes that this difference in opinion toward

the Syrian crisis is due to the fact that the study was on the channel

watchers/followers through the Internet where the electronic follow-up

is more effective than of the follow-up TV shows on the opinion

formation, due to the available electronically interactivity which

allows for the follower to receive and send, which contributes to

learning the views of many observers who normally meet their views

with the views of the channel they are following.

The researcher also recommends working on influencing the

public opinion through electronic news sites to reduce the problems of

the Arab States, and among the most important are the terrorism and

the sectarian conflict, which spread in the Arab communities; and is

reflected remarkably in electronic interaction in the news websites.

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Revista de Ciencias Humanas y Sociales Año 35, N° 24, (2019)

Esta revista fue editada en formato digital por el personal de la Oficina de

Publicaciones Científicas de la Facultad Experimental de Ciencias, Universidad del

Zulia. Maracaibo - Venezuela

www.luz.edu.ve

www.serbi.luz.edu.ve

produccioncientifica.luz.edu.ve

DEL ZULIA

http://www.serbi.luz.edu.ve/

Opción, Año 35, Regular No.24 (2019): 985-1007

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